Xtra, Xpert, Xperience
by moonswirl
Summary: Gleekathon, day one hundred and sixty-four: ABCs #24 Will's birthday is coming up, and the club wants to do something for it.


_Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a second cycle, and then a third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh cycle. Now here's cycle 8!_

_Walking through a bookstore back in december, I saw the series of books by Sue Grafton that go "A is for...," "B is for...," etc, and I got the idea for this set. It will spread over the end of cycle 6, and carry through cycles 7 and 8, to be posted on alternating days. [And by the time we reach the end, Glee will be a week away!!] What I did is I found three words for each letter that would have some significance to Glee, and I built a plot around it. You with me? Okay, here we go..._  
_**24 of 26:** X is for..._

* * *

**"Xtra, Xpert, Xperience"  
Will, New Directions, Marcus Finley (OC)**

_ "Let's Face the Music and Dance" _

It was Brittany who'd found out his birthday was coming. She had been sent to Miss Pillsbury's office again and, when she'd arrived, the guidance counsellor was on the phone, making an inquiry about something 'for a special someone's birthday.' She had issues with the delivery date, insisting it needed to have arrived 'before the twenty-fourth.' After she'd hung up, Brittany had asked her whose birthday it was. Emma had not replied out right, but it was clear by her face, this wasn't a family thing. And as confused as she could be about things, Brittany knew who would create that reaction.

It was one week before 'the day' that it came to the rest of the club's attention. They'd come in that day to find their good Mr. Schuester was out sick, would be for a few days.

"He's going to be back for his birthday, right?" Brittany asked them. They all looked back to her.

"How do you know his birthday?" Rachel asked.

"I heard Miss Pillsbury talk about it on the phone last week," she shrugged. Looks were thrown back and forth after that, an idea starting to be formed.

That's when their substitute director came in. It wasn't the first time Will's old Glee Club co-team member Marcus Finley substituted for him. The first time had not been the best of experiences, for any of them. Marcus was more than willing to tell them about his glory days, and to joke around about young Will Schuester, which did not sit well with his students of the day.

When they saw him come in, smiling that beaming white smile, the memory of the previous encounter left all twelve of them staring in despair. "Good afternoon, New Directions," he went on smiling.

"You're subbing? Again?" Kurt spoke by reflex. There were a few chuckles left and right. Marcus just nodded.

"Eager bunch, aren't you? Now what did old Frizz have you working on before he went and took ill?" They were silent…

"Mr. Schuester," Finn spoke up, and they all looked to him, including Marcus. "Don't call him 'Frizz'… Sir," Finn looked back at him. He nodded.

"Fine. So… What are we doing?" They hesitated to involve him in this, but they had no time to waste.

"We want to prepare something for his birthday, next week?" Rachel started. Marcus thought for a second, then chuckled.

"That's right," he nodded. "Okay, let's get started then. You kids think on it, you let me know," he moved to the piano, putting down his bag and opening it up. The others hesitated, and after a moment Finn moved up once more, approaching the man.

"Mr. Finley?" he looked back. "You and Mr. Schuester… weren't you ever friends?" he asked. He expected him to throw in some comment and just move along. Instead, he paused, chuckled to himself. He took off his jacket, patted Finn on the shoulder.

"Okay, come on," he guided him back toward the group.

Finn had no idea what his question had done to Mr. Finley, but after that, he'd actually been helpful. They'd used their time with him and built up the number.

Will returned to school a few days after, all better. It was still a couple days until 'the big day,' and every one of them made as good an effort as they could to keep their plans a secret. When the day arrived, they came to McKinley already dressed to 'celebrate.' The funniest part would be when they'd go past Mr. Schuester, and he'd notice how they were dressed. He'd looked confused and amused, but they wouldn't explain.

Luckily, they had a Glee practice that day, so they wouldn't have to come up with some excuse to get him in the auditorium with them. They all gathered there and waited on him. When he came in, they were all on stage, standing around a small cake with candles. He stopped in his tracks, and they began to cheer, clap. He finally unfroze, smiling as he came to join them. They all got to wish him a happy birthday, before he did as they demanded and blew out the candles, to more cheers.

"Thank you, I… How did you know?" No one answered, only giving innocent faces. "Well, this is amazing, really, I mean… you didn't have to."

"We wanted to," Finn nodded.

"And, it's not over," Rachel jumped in. She indicated for him to go sit, while they moved the cake off the stage and got into place.

Brittany went with Mike on one side, Santana went with Matt on the other. At the center of the stage, the others gravitated around Artie. Tina and Quinn sat on the ground on either side of his chair, while behind them stood Kurt, Mercedes, Finn, Rachel, and Puck almost as a half circle.

As the music began, the two boys on the periphery held out their hands to their respective partners, and they began to dance, a couple of Freds with their Gingers, as Artie began to sing, backed up by the others.

_[A, 7] "There may be trouble ahead / But while there's moonlight and music and love and romance / Let's face the music and dance_

_Before the fiddlers have fled, / Before they ask us to pay the bill, and while we still have the chance / Let's face the music and dance"_

In the audience, Will sat with a mesmerized and not-too-far-from-tears kind of smile. He would have expected no less from these kids, and it only reinforced the belief he had in them.

_[A, 7] "Soon, we'll be without the moon, humming a different tune - and then… / There may be teardrops to shed / So while there's moonlight and music and love and romance_

_Let's face the music and dance / Let's face the music and dance_

_Soon, we'll be without the moon, humming a different tune - and then… / There may be teardrops to shed / So while there's moonlight and music and love and romance_

_Let's face the music and dance / Let's face the music and dance"_

As they neared into the end of their song, the Freds and Gingers slid in to join the others, the girls on the ground with Tina and Quinn, and the boys lengthening the half-circle in back.

Will stood with applause, hoping the semi-cover of darkness would help him disguise a wiping of tears before he moved up toward them.

"Thank you so much, all of you. How did you find time to…"

"Mr. Finley helped us," Brittany spoke up at that. Will frowned in surprise.

"Marcus? Really?" They all nodded.

"He surprised us, we had a good time," Finn went on. This made Will smile, and Finn swore he must have been thinking about the same thing Marcus had.

"Well that's good…"

"Mr. Schuester, did Miss Pillsbury give you your present yet?" Brittany asked with a smirk. Will returned it, but didn't answer.

"Alright, let's see about that cake."

THE END


End file.
